Manufacture of carbureting liquids similar to petrol



May 1, E AL PRUDHQM'ME IANUFACTURE O1"` GARBURETING LIQUl-'DS SIlILAR T0 PETROL Filed Jan, zo. 192s v nuentoz *www @HW Patented May 7, 1929.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EUGENE ALBERT PRUDHOMME, or NEUILLY-sUE-SEINE, rRANE, AssIeNoE To so- OIETE INTERNATIONALE .DES PEocEDEs PRUDHOMME (s. I. 1. n), or PARIS,

FRANCE, A lJOINT-erom: COMPANY.

MANUEACTUEE or eAnBUEETING LIQU'IDS smrLAE To PETROL.

Appneatioamed January 2o, 1925, serialNo. 3,655, and 11i-Trance nay-19, 1924.

The present invention relates to process I 'of manufacturing saturated synthetic carburants, using solid fuel, orl hydrocarbon fuel, of inferior grade as the Starting materials, and converting the same into stable liquid fuel enriched inA hydrogen. l

The process comprises, in known manner, distillation at lowl temperature ofthe starting materials (lignites, peats or .other materials) in a suitable apparatus (gas producer,

`retort, distillation furnacel and the like) wherein the said materials, suitably heated, are traversed by a current 0f hot gas or of vapors (water gas, steam, residual gases/of coking or of the manufacture of industrial liquid fuels), the gas being'subjected to'a catalytic operation after it leaves the producing apparatus and after previous purification. u The invention concerns certain 'improve-- ments in these known processes, whereby as a result of better utilization of the materials treated as well as of the calories, developed in the course of their conversion into light F products, a more economical and more rapid manufacture is madepossible; 'these improvements assure, in' brief, an incomparably higher yield than is possible with existing processes.

- .These improvements consistLin principle,

of means which permit lof yintroducing into the catalytic apparatusA wherein the V'first industrial stage of transformationl finallyterminates, a gaseous mass as rich as possible in carbon, in hydrogen and in calories.

To this end, the gases leaving theproduccr apparatus (gas producer; retort,I distillation furnace, and thev like) are integrally conducted `to the catalysts; they reach there `having retained at least all the `useful heavy hydrocarbons, this result being'l obtained by".

maintaining in the entire-apparatus," including 'the communicating conduits, a' temperature preventing any -condensationyfrom taking place-and consequently preventingthe 'separation of theheavy. hydrocarbons.

The integral-mass ,of gases leaving the generator apparatus comprises,in ,effect,'the

whole of the products, yas .the olefines, which condense at temperatures Aof about i100 to which condense only at very much higher temperatures, in accordance with the invention,-this` integral massfis conducted to the apparatus in which itis subjected y to catalytic treatment, and it has not given of its content of heavy hydrocarbon, either as the result of an intentional condensing action or of any stron cooling action in the course of its travel. tention of the heavy hydroparbons in the his means, the intentional vre-V state ofvapors in the gaseous mass to be,

treated, rendered possible .by maintaining an appropriate temperature, is 'far from havlng for its purpose-and for-its exclusive re 'sultprevention of fouling of the catalysts due `to-'c0ndensation of tars, which would mllitate rather in favor 4of the elimination of the tars byy condensingthe sameI as com'- pletely aspossible before 'the entrance of` the gas into the catalyzin apparatus. The'.V lmeans referred to have, a oveall, fortheir object and result the retention of the vapors of the useful tars in the massto be treated,' for the purpose of causing them to enter into l reaction in the catal sts which, as I have found7 eminently con uces to the enrichment in hydrogen of the industrial product which issues from the catalyzing apparatus.

To state the matter differently, that which was heretofore considered an'obstacle'in the manufacture of `light synthetic hydrocarreferred to, is the construction of thecata-l lyzer apparatus 4in such manner that advantage may be taken of the presence, in the mass to be treated,.iof the vapors of the i t6 the apparatus.

aoV heavy hydrocarbons intentionally conducted;` i

I' lTo this endv thecatalyzer apparatus is divided into a plurality of elements joined to- 9'5' selves as Well'fas` the communicating conduitsj .f therebetweeen are maintained at a. suitable j temperature to prevent condensation, this `di Z4vision of the catalyzerapparatus permitting gather in. a series and,v the elements themyapors of the heavier fractions to act accord- `ing to their nature, as well as those which condense at from' 150 to 200 C. Thus in a first catalyzer of the series I produce a general hydrogenation, a deoxidation of the bodies easily hydrogenated in the condition in which they issue .from the purifiers arranged between the generating apparatus and the catalyzers; the carbon monoxide (CO) of the non-condensible products gives rise, as is known, to the production of meth-ane (CI-I4) but, at the same time, the condensible bodies such as the phenols (CGILOH) lose their oxygen and pass into the state of benzines (CGHG). l

In this first preparatory catalysis the definitive enrichment cannot be immediately l effected, and for this reason the entire quanv only because the mechanical entraining of tity -of gas is conducted (all condensation al` ways being .prevented in the course of travel) to a second catalyzer element, where it is prepared for the definitive enrichment, by a preliminary subdivision, or differently stated by a breaking of the chain, with relation to such bodies as methane (CHQ which are to be saturated as well as the saturated bodies of the same series (decane, ondeeane, dodecane, etc.) present in the vapors of the entrained tar vapors. This subdivision will permit, in a third element of the catalyzer series, a new hydrogenation by the hydrogen evolved in the second ele.

ment. In the third element there is thus finally produced, simultaneously with polymerization which is facilitated by the fact that the hydrogen is in a nascent state, the

saturation with hydrogen of all the condensii ble or noncondensible bodies whiehin view of this final saturation, were fragmented in the second catalyzer apparatus. The fact that hydrogen in 'the nascent state was prepared in the second catalyzer apparatus thus facilitates the hydrogenation of the condensible bodies such as phenols. It will thus be noted that the passage, up to within the catalyzers, of the condensible elements present in the tar vapors is closely connected to 4the process ofeatalysis in a step by step action, the combination of these two means being one of the important characteristics of the invention.v v

v If care be takenito maintain a suitable temperature to prevent condensation, during the purification of the integral body of gas, during its passage from the generator ap- ;paratus, as well as-during the entire travel of the integral .mass of gas from the evaporatorv to and through the catalyzer. apparatuses, it will be clearly understood that this temperature progressively descends as the issueofthe gases and vapors from the third catalyzer is approached, this being so not the ycondensible products in part prevents their "condensation, but principally because c these 4products become prog'gressively lighter.

For-this reason it is necessary to maintain in the purifiers and the conduits extending to the catalyzer apparatuses a temperature somewhat less than the temperature of condensation of the heavy fractions and in the catalyzers a temperature not exceeding approximately 250 C. f

.If, in a manner known to the art, instead of treatingbnly the gases--of distillation or of gasification of fuel or of carbonaceous starting material, these industrial materials are treated by causing them to be traversed by a currentof hot gases or of vapors, using for this purpose residual 'eoking gases orgases evolved in...the industrial production of fuels, either exclusively or otherwise, the maintenance of the` calories and of the useful elementsin the mass subjected to catalysis is completed, in accordance with the invention, by the fact thatthe current of hot additional gases (residual gases only, or added gas such for example as water gas) is conducted, prior to its passage through the fresh materials under treatment, through a body o f hot coke resulting from a previous operation. I

To state the action more definitely,` the generator apparatus is divided, into two elements which are traversed in series by the hot aditional gases; one of these elements, the admission orentrance element, being the one which has been drained, in large part, by a preceding operation and thus containing primarily hot coke, while the second element of the series is that which is to receive 100 the new charge to be treated, which is then in course of distillation, these two elements aliernatively acting in one capacity and the ot er.

In this mannerv a reheating of the additionalY gases (residual and others) 'is obtained, 4and` consequfutly a recovery ofthe calories contained in the coke, at the 'same time that the carbon content of the additional gases is increased; particularly the 11oy c is obtained, inasmuch as with `a minimum expenditure of caloriesl a maximum of light synthetic. fuel is produced.`

, For the practical application of the improved process described above, an installal tion similar to that shown in the accompanying drawing Ina-y b'e used, wherein Fig". 1- shows sehematicallyone. form of installation for practicing theprocess, Fig. 2 is a sche- K matic view of, another installation for prac- 4.

ture.

ticing the process, and Fig. 3 is a vertical section of a particular arrangement of apparatus such as shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

1 is a heating coil into which is introduced the distillation gas which contains, for example, hydrogen and methane in substantial proportlons, carbon monoxlde, azote and` hydrocarbons ofthe (LI-In type in very small proportions. v

The heated gas traverses downwardly, the retorts 2 containing a fuel, for example lignites. In these retorts, -the gas causes distillation at low temperature lof the lignitesp. The gases evolved by this distillation contain carbon monoxide, hydrogen, and for example 15to 20% of unsaturated gaseous hydrocarbons. 'I thus obtain a complex gaseous mixture containing a substantial proportionof acetylenic hydrocarbons (11H2n-2 and, in unstable equilibrium, a certain number of those hydrocarbons tending to condense to form tar. The temperature in the retort 2 and in the adjacent passages is maintained at a degree sufficient toA completely prevent such condensation.

The integral gaseous mixture, i. e., the

gaseous mixture which contains at the same time the permanent gases and the. |,read ily condensiblevapors, passes into a purifying apparatus 3 containing a purifying mixture such as the Laming mixture, which is a mixture of lime Aand oxide of iron rendered porous by sawdust and heated to a suitable temperature. This mixture frees the gaseous current ofthe major part of the sulphur which it contains and which results, particu-` larly, from the distillation of lignites. The temperature to which the purification apparatus is heated prevents all condensation of the vheavy hydrocarbons of the gaseous'mixi 'Ihe.n 1 aterial which thus issues from the purifying apparatus 3 is a'gaseous mixture freed of the major part of its noxious ingredients, of its sulphur particularly, and charged with acetylenic hydrocarbons, the

effect of which is'to facilitate the step by step or stage operation of catalysis, hereinafter described, and to facilitate and regula-te the conversion of the gaseous mixture into liquid carburant.

The gaseous. mixture issuing from -the purifying apparatus next passes into 4 over a first catalyzer tube of pumice stone impregnated with nickel powder and heated to between 180 and 200 C. I thus cause the formation of a substantial quantity of methane in the gaseous mixture, while the phenols pass `over into the state of benzines. In other words, as stated above, a general hydrogenation is effected in the first. catalyzer apparatus.

The mixture thus charged with methane v and containing nevertheless a certain prom portion of acetylenic hydrocarbons' passes into 5 over pumice stone provided with vanadium and nickel, heated to a temperature varying between 200 and 250 C; the methane is dehydrated with a formation of acetylene and hydrogen. As a matter of fact, and as above explained, a breaking'up or dividing iselected, as to the bodies such as methane which are to be saturated as well as to the bodies of the 'same series (decane,

ondecane, dodecane, etc.) and which have been brought to the state of saturation, by'

' ration lwith hydrogen of all the bodies which .had been fragmented in the second catalyzer apparatus. Therevis thus finally obtained at the outlet of the catalyst tube 6 a polymerized acetylenic mixture of'hydrocarbons Which may be easily condensed in a cooled coil 7 and collected in the receptacle 8.

The residual gases not condensed in the receptacle 8 may be either returned to the coil 1 if they are sufficiently rich in hydro-V carbons, or used to heat the apparatus.

These liquidv products present variable compositions which render them more or less analogousy to IAmerican gasoline, Caucasian gasoline or Galician gasoline, of which they have substantially the composition, the odor, the appearance and the density.

In the operation of the above described process the temperatures of all the passages, of the mixture purifier 3 etc., are as above lstated, maintained at such values that yno condensation of the oils or the tars occurs. Consequently, these tars cooperate with a part of the uncondensible gases contained in the hot gases of distillation or of gasi- Vfication to form uncondensible gases and liquid carburants.

As shown schematically i.. Fig. 2, the y installation may comprise a divided generator apparatus, for example two distillation retorts Z9 and c, so related as to constitute alternatively a generator apparatus proper and a coking column serving to reheat additional gases which take additional cal- ,ories' and carbon from the coke.

By feeding the additional gases through the conduit a, and assuming then that the retort b is charged with hot coke vresulting from the partial exhaustion of the starting materials which are to be treated, these gases passing from a to b and thence in to t'. then charged with fresh materials, the integral body of gases from c to d, thence-through a purifier e into the eatalyzer apparatus f constructedas abovey described. i

When thea mass c has been converted into coke by distillation and the retort b emptied C0 urated hydrocarbons,

. maintained ysufficiently high' to avoid condenof its vcontents,.the retort is charged with fresh materials. The additional gases are then .first conducted from a to c, and thereafterv through b, d and f.

5 f Practically to reduce to the minimum the losses of calories and to assure the application of the process of catalysis in stages of the integral mass of purified gas having retained the useful heavy hydrocarbons, it is desirable to arrange inheavy masonry the bon vapors to a staged catalysis in a series.:

of catalyzers which effect in successive catalyzers ageneralhydrogenation of said 2.0 products, a dehydrogenation or a splitting up of said products intoA unsaturated hydrocarbons, and a saturation and polymerization of said products.

2. A process for manufacturing liquid fuels which consists in subjecting hydrocarbon vapors to a staged catalysis in a series of catalyzers which effect in` successive catalyzers a general hydrogenation of such products, a splitting up of said hydrogenated 3o products intounsaturated bodies vWith liberation of hydrogen, andasaturation and.y

polymerization of said unsaturated bodies.

3. A process for manufacturing liquid fuels which consists lin subjecting hydrocarbon vapors to a4 staged catalysis in a series ofv catalyzers',v effecting in successive catalyzers a general hydrogenation, a splitting up of the hydrogenated roducts into unsaturated'hydrocarbons, an a saturation 40- and polymerization of said unsaturated hydrocarbons, the temperature being ma1n tained sufliciently high to avoid condensation I of the heavy fractions.

4. A process for manufacturing liquid fuels which consists in vaporizing hydrocarbons and subjecting the products of evaporation to a successive catalysis effecting in successive steps first a general hydrogenation, then a splitting up into unsaturated hydrocarbons, and then a saturation and polymerization of said products.v

, 5.A A process for manufacturing `l1quid fuels which consists in vaporizing hydrocarbons and subjecting said vapors to a staged 35 catalysis in a series of catalyzers, eifecting in successive catalyzers a gener-al hydrogenation, a splitting up of the ucts into unsaturated hy rocarbons, and a saturationand polymerization' of said unsatthe temperature being satioi of the heavier fractions.

-genation' hfdrogenated prodrocess lfor manufacturing liquid fuels which consists in vaporizing hydrocarbon products and'treating the products of evaporation in a Iseries of catalyzers charged successively with nickel, with vanadium and nickel, and with nickel and cobalt.

7. A process for manufacturing liquid fuels Which consists in vaporizing hydrocarbon products, treating the products of evaporation to the catalytic action of nickel at a temperature between 180 and 200 C., then of nickel and vanadium al a temperature between 2006 and 250 C., then of nickel and cobalt at a temperature of approximately 180 C., and condensing fthe resulting products.

8. 4A process for' manufacturing li uid fuels which comprises d istilling hydrocar on products, passing a current-of hydrogen containing gas over said products in course of distillation, and treating the combined gas and ydistillation products in a series vof catalyzers effecting in successive catalyzers a hydrogenation of the combined products, a splitting upinto unsaturated hy rocarbons, and a saturation and polymerization of said products.`

9. A process for manufacturing liquid" fuels which comprises distilling hydrocarbon y '-products, passing a hydrocarbon containing gas through the residuum of a previous distillation and then over said products in course of distillation, and treating the 4combinedgas and distillation products in a series of successive catalyzers effecting a hydroof the combined products, a splitting -up into unsaturatedhydrocarbons, and

a' saturation and products While maintaining a temperature throughout sufliciently high to prevent condensation of the heavy fractions.

olymerization of said 11. In a process for manufacturing liquid 'l fuels whichconsists in subjecting hydrocarbons to staged catalysis in a series of successive* catalyzers, the steps of saturating a hydrocarbon of low molecular weight, changing said saturated hydrocarbon into an unsaturated hydrocarbon of higher molecular I i ht, and saturating said last named rocarbon in successive catalyzers.

12. A process for manufacturing li uid fuels which consists in vaporizing hy rocarbon products, conducting said vaporized products 'through a purifying element to a 1,711,855 y .Y v 5-y series of catalyzers,.and effecting in succesvaporizin apparatus to the catalyzers sive catalyze/rs a general hydrogenation, a' through t e puriylin element being main- 'splitting up of the hydrocarbon products tained suiciently ig to prevent condensa- 1 into unsaturatedhydrocarbons, and a'satu'ration of the heavler fractions. l 5 tion and polymerization" of said unsaturated 'In testimony whereof I afx my signature.

hydrocarbons, the tem erature of the Vaporv 1 ized products during-t eil' passage from the EUGN ALBERT PRUDHOMME. 

